Official Trade: The trade sends Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik and a 2nd round pick to Buffalo for Paul Byron and Chris Butler
Robyn Regehr has played for Calgary throughout his entire NHL career. That will change this season, as he is now officially a member of the blue and gold after waiving his no-trade clause.
The 31-year-old defenseman from Brazil is a solid addition to Buffalo's blueline and a top-4 Dman the Sabres were looking for. Regehr was a 19th overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.
The Sabres will give up Paul Byron, Chris Butler and a 2nd round pick.
Byron played just eight regular season games in his short Sabres career. Chris Butler collected 36 points in 155 career NHL games for the Sabres. Butler was an RFA for the Sabres, but is now one less player for them to sign.
The Sabres will also get Ales Kotalik in return, who played in parts of seven seasons with the Sabres. Kotalik has a cap hit of $3M and is on the final year of his contract. During his time in Buffalo, Kotalik was a 20-goal scorer twice and had a career high of 62 points in the 2005-2006 season.
Since his departure, he has not score more than eight goals or 22 points in a single season, playing for the Oilers, Rangers and Flames.
His numbers slid toward the end of his first Sabres stint, but he was known especially for his goals in the shootout:
Regehr has a cap hit of approximately $4M and is signed throught the next two seasons. He has had seven consecutive seasons with a plus rating, including his career best +27 in the 2006-2007 season. In the past five years, Regher has missed a total of 15 games. He has hit the 15-point plateau six times during his career with his highest of 26 in the 2005-2006 campaign.
Regehr has also seen time during the postseason, earning 15 points and a +9 in 41 games.
I like the way Regehr utilized his NTC. That's the right he has. I understand how some fans did not want him to come if he was debating his options, but I respect him more because of the way he handled it. He actually thought about what was best for him, his family, his career and the team.
He has a NTC and he used it to his advantage, and that is the right he has. He comes to Buffalo and will make for a solid first line pairing with Tyler Myers.
Buffalo Sabres Blogger • 
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